Utah boy brings gun to school, cites Newtown fears

SALT LAKE CITY — Authorities say a Utah sixth-grader caught with a gun at school told administrators he brought the weapon to defend himself in case of an attack similar to the mass shooting last week in Newtown, Conn.

School officials say the 11-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of possessing a dangerous weapon and aggravated assault after other students told police he pointed the handgun at them on a field at a suburban Salt Lake City elementary school.

Officials say school staff confronted the boy in class after hearing he had a weapon and seized the unloaded gun and ammunition from his backpack Monday.

Authorities have not released the child's name and will not say where he got the gun. No one was injured.

Guidelines: Please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Comments that violate these standards, or our privacy statement or visitor's agreement, are subject to being removed and commenters are subject to being banned. To post comments, you must be a registered user on toledoblade.com. To find out more, please visit the FAQ.